Incident Overview
On January 12, 2016, at about 0930 central standard time, a Mitsubishi MU300 airplane, registration N200LP, experienced an engine fire during the takeoff roll from Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field (LIT) in Little Rock, Arkansas. The airplane was operated by Central Flying Service Inc. under 14 CFR Part 135 as an on-demand air taxi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan destined for Lake Charles Regional Airport (LCH) in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Sequence of Events
The flight crew reported that the airplane was fueled and they completed a walk-around inspection. After taxiing to runway 18, the crew advanced the throttles to takeoff power and began the takeoff roll. A few seconds later, they heard a "grumble" and the airplane began shaking. Passengers in the back reported seeing flames coming from the right engine. The flight crew stopped the airplane and shut down the engines while still on the runway.
Aftermath and Findings
After the airplane was towed off the runway, the crew observed that the right engine had ingested a fuel mat that had been left on the inboard trailing edge of the wing by the airplane fuelers. The fuel mats were placed on the wing after the flight crew's preflight inspection, and the crew had not noticed them during the visual inspection of the fuel caps due to their location on the trailing edge. The two flight crewmembers and two passengers on board were not injured, and the airplane incurred minor damage.
Operator Action
To prevent a similar occurrence, the operator added guidance to the General Operations Manual in the "Fuel" section, stating: "After fueling the crew will do a complete inspection of the exterior of the aircraft to ensure wings are clear of foreign objects and damage has not occurred during fueling."